Dark Crystal Rising
by Black Lothlorien
Summary: This isn't really a crossover, it just has some 'Dark Crystal' elements in it. When a strange crystal appears in the center of Mirkwood, Legolas is charged with protecting it while people from Lothlorien arrive. When Orcs attack his team, Legolas gets...w
1. Media Coverage

Summary: A strange crystal appears in Mirkwood. There is a fight between the Elves and a band of surviving Orcs, and Legolas is shoved into the crystal. When he is thrown back, he is no longer an Elf, but a strange creature called a Gelfling. The crystal disappears and Legolas needs to go to the others for help.  
  
Dark Crystal Rising  
  
By Lothlórien  
  
The woods were calm today. The birds and forest animals frolicked without care through the trees and underbrush of Mirkwood Forest. Yet all was not well in the forest of the Woodland, Silvian Elves. A strange, tall crystal had appeared in the center of the forest.  
  
No one dared to touch it, for they knew not what it was meant for. Thranduil asked Legolas to keep watch over the strange object until Elves from Lothlórien arrived, as they would hopefully know what to do with it.  
  
Now, Legolas sat under one of the trees that surrounded the clearing. This was the center of Mirkwood, where few dared to come. The only way they had known of the crystal's arrival in the formerly vacant clearing was the explosion of light that nearly blinded every living creature within a league.  
  
"Prince Legolas," Haldir, the envoy from Lothlórien, knelt by him. He had been in Mirkwood, second in command of the crystal protection, "This crystal holds power. Is there no one that knows it?"  
  
"None, Haldir," Legolas shook his head and sat up from his lean against the tree, "If there was, my father would have sent for them."  
  
Haldir remained nervous. Well, as nervous as an elf could get.  
  
"Does the crystal invoke such fear as to unnerve a guardian of Lothlórien?" Legolas stood, and Haldir followed, "I, too, feel power, but it does not frighten me. Somehow, it feels like a messenger."  
  
Haldir merely nodded. Three of the four other elves around the clearing were talking in low whispers, while one was reading a medium-sized book. They would all be relieved in a matter of hours, then, riding the long miles home, they would rest and return the next day.  
  
Suddenly, the crystal flared into light. The elves were surprised, and they struggled to cover their eyes. The light began to pulse brighter and brighter, and beams of the purest light began to search the clearing.  
  
They seemed to have found what they were looking for, when the beams locked on Legolas.  
  
Then the hideous war cries of orcs tore through the clearing. Legolas pulled his bow out and nocked an arrow. He was as lightning as he picked off orc after orc.  
  
One slashed down, knocking the bow from his hand. The orc tore at him with the cruel hooked end of the sword, trying to disembowel him. The elven prince leapt backwards, avoiding the angry blows. He reached for his long- knives…  
  
The orc was faster than he expected. Legolas was knocked backwards, and he fell against the crystal.  
  
Searing pain burnt through his back. The back of his tunic burst into flames, burning him. Yet, as the prince's back was pressed against the crystal, it felt strangely cool.  
  
Legolas cried out in pain as a shock of heat and power rippled through his body, going through his back to the very tips of his fingers and toes. His hair was untouched as the crystal wrapped him in its power.  
  
Then he was thrown away. He sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain as the last effects of the shock ran through his body. Orcs fell, as the rest retreated with cries of anger.  
  
The four others chased after them as Haldir knelt by Legolas' side. But something was terribly, horribly wrong…  
  
It was as if Legolas had shrunk. He was perhaps half his original size, and his face seemed to taper down into an elegant muzzle, if that even described it correctly. Instead of his almost leaf shaped ears, he had ears that seemed like a mouse's. His hair was the same.  
  
"Master Legolas?" Haldir gently gathered the transformed elven prince into his arms and mounted his horse.  
  
The crystal pulsed again, then shattered into a trillion piece of light. Not a one touched the ground, as they all disappeared into space, as if they never existed.  
  
They rode hard, yet Legolas didn't awaken. Haldir wasn't even sure that he was still alive. They arrived at the home of Thranduil late, late that night. The king himself greeted them.  
  
The king's expression of amusement at their seemingly harried returns changed to confusion and concern when he saw his son. He called the healers and commanded them to take him to his room in the large house.  
  
Thranduil approached Haldir.  
  
"What happened to my son?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"I don't know, my lord," He was as confused as everyone else, "We were attacked by orcs right after the crystal burst into light. He was thrown against the surface of the crystal."  
  
"What of the crystal itself?" Thranduil motioned for him to follow as they entered the home.  
  
"It shattered. The pieces disappeared into space."  
  
Thranduil sighed.  
  
Four days later, Legolas groaned, pulling Thranduil's attention away from the hastily written letter. His son's eyes flickered open, larger and more innocently then they had been before.  
  
"Father? Ugh," He groaned again, "I feel so strange…"  
  
His now four-digit hand was raised to his head. He felt the strange ears and the seemingly thicker hair through his three fingers and thumb. His eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Legolas…" Thranduil was at a loss for words. His son looked at him, waiting for an explanation, "I—"  
  
"Father, what am I?"  
  
Thranduil sighed, "I had a very strange dream four days ago, soon after Haldir brought you back to us. I saw two others that looked like what you look like now. I heard the word Gelfling in my mind. I do not know what that is, but I believe that that is what you have become."  
  
Legolas looked at his hands again. Gelfling…  
  
The elven prince's eyes closed for a second, and then they opened again.  
  
"I do not believe that this is the way I should stay," He said with conviction, "I will not stay this way. Father, how do I—?"  
  
"I do not know, my son," Thranduil shook his head, "But until we can discovered how you were changed, we cannot help."  
  
Legolas frowned. Thranduil almost laughed. Legolas was looking more like he had so very, very long ago, when he was very, very young. He looked like a child, one who was on the verge of a burst of anger.  
  
"You must rest, son," Thranduil thought, "You must not allow this to depress you. You should carry on your life as if it had never happened. Only then will you live through this."  
  
"You want me to go to the Moria to meet Gimli and the others?" Legolas looked at him, incredulous, "Like this?"  
  
"Do you feel different? Like you cannot hear? Or see?" Thranduil asked bluntly.  
  
"Well, no," Legolas shrank into the pillow, "I am as I always have been."  
  
"Then life will be no different," The king moved to leave the room, "You will only be seeing it from a different—perspective."  
  
Legolas glared at the door as it closed behind his father. He threw back the covers and tried to stand. His legs were so thin, yet they were long and strong. In only a matter of a few minutes, Legolas was used to walking with this new form.  
  
When he attempted to dress, he ran into a problem. All the clothes he owned were too big for him now. Then he saw a small pile of folded clothes lying on the chair besides his bed.  
  
It was a tunic, like his usual clothing, only smaller and in a more beige and gold colors. The pants were a little loose, but the clothing fit perfectly. The elven prince recognized the stitching prowess as that of Tuyrin, an elf of great fame in clothing.  
  
He felt strange as he tried to open the door. The handle was only slightly under his eye level. That meant that he was about the same height as Pippin, or Gimli, whichever was the more comforting comparison.  
  
The world outside was very large now.  
  
This is going to be a challenge. He though as he looked for his father.  
  
Two days later, Legolas was mounted and ready to ride to Moria. The elves around him had become accustomed to him, but he was curious as to what his friends would say. He was to meet Aragorn and Gimli at the now-opened Gates of Moria.  
  
Gimli's cousin had resettled the halls of Khazad-Dûm. Now, the Three Hunters were going to retrace their way through the Deep in order to find the route they had used when as the Fellowship. It was going to be assumed the safest route through until there was another trail found.  
  
Legolas rode with Haldir and another elf, a woman. She would split away from them, in order to go to Lothlórien, but until then, they would be companions.  
  
The ride was long and tedious. Many people stared at the strange, yet handsome creature that rode the elven horse, but few spoke aloud. As they rode into the new dwarven territory, dwarves stared, snickered, and whispered about him.  
  
Aragorn and Gimli were to meet him at the newly rebuilt West Gate. The lake had long been uninhabited, as the Watcher in the Water had been killed by the first dwarves to return. The Human King and Dwarven Lord stared as this seemingly strange creature rode up to them beside Haldir.  
  
"I wish to hear nothing off this," Legolas threatened. Even his bow had to be left behind. His arms were not made for archery now. He could handle two daggers as long-knives though.  
  
"Legolas?" Gimli cracked, and burst into raucous laughter. He nearly fell over.  
  
"Is that really you?" Aragorn had to look down as Legolas dismounted the horse.  
  
"Yes, it is I," Legolas glared at Gimli, who was still laughing hard enough to shake the ground around him, "Would you kindly stop? Your guffawing is giving me a headache."  
  
Gimli wiped tears from his eyes, "I apologize, Legolas. You are as tall as I now. We will have fun teaching you how it is to see life from below."  
  
"I did not wish to enter Moria again," Legolas muttered, "Yet, here I am, changed into a creature of which I know not what kind, and my friend Dwarf wishes only to laugh at me."  
  
"I do apologize," Gimli smiled widely, "Let us go into the new Khazad-Dûm."  
  
Haldir took the reigns of Legolas' horse and watched as the Three Hunters were once again reunited. How they would survive the trip through, he did not know. How Legolas would return to normal, again, he knew not.  
  
All he knew is that Lothlórien was near and its beauty called his name from across the mountains. 


	2. Interview with a Gelfling

1.1 Interview with a Gelfling  
  
[View pans in on comfortable looking set with a woman in a tan suit, Miss Ana Taylor, and a Gelfling, Legolas Greenleaf, sitting in chairs]  
  
  
  
Miss Taylor: Today on Fantasy Interview Live, we have Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf of Mirkwood, who was recently turned into a creature from another dimension called a Gelfling. Thank you for coming, Legolas.  
  
Legolas: It is my pleasure, Ana.  
  
[clapping dies down]  
  
Miss Taylor: Now, Mister Legolas, what happened after you entered the Mines of Moria with your friends? All coverage was lost after that.  
  
Legolas: Yes, I know. Well, We entered the First Hall, closest to the door. The dwarves had been able to fix it up quite a bit since the last time I was there. Gimli introduced us to a friend named Bofur, then something very embarrassing happened.  
  
Miss Taylor: Oh, no, what was that?  
  
Legolas: A dog thought I was a toy.  
  
Miss Taylor: That must have been terribly embarrassing.  
  
Legolas: Not really. The dog set me down, but it was the entire licking that I couldn't stand.  
  
Miss Taylor: Please, go on.  
  
Legolas: Well, after a couple days, Aragorn, Gimli, and I traveled as far as Dwarrowdelf. The dwarves had retaken that as well, but there was still the question of more horror coming out of the deep, like the Balrog.  
  
Miss Taylor: The Balrog was a demon of the Ancient World, correct?  
  
Legolas: That is right. When we arrived, most of the orcs were dead by then, but there had been a rumbling that no dwarf had been able to identify. We, meaning our little trio, went to the long staircase and tried to discover the source of the rumbling.  
  
Miss Taylor: What was it?  
  
Legolas: Balrogs. At least five of them.  
  
Miss Taylor: Oh no. What happened?  
  
Legolas: Well, we eventually convinced the dwarves that Moria was no place to retake. They would need more people, more weapons, and at least one wizard to defeat all those demons.  
  
Miss Taylor: And through all this, you remained a Gelfling.  
  
Legolas: Sadly, yes. We emerged from Moria and the dwarves all barred Durin's Door against those who might stumble onto the entrance. I returned to Mirkwood, Aragorn returned to Gondor, and Gimli returned to the Glittering Caves.  
  
Miss Taylor: Were any shards of the original Dark Crystal found?  
  
Legolas: No, and there are still no ideas of how to return me to being an Elf.  
  
[pan to off stage, where a young woman sits, writing words in the air with a pencil. Her shirt says 'Lothlórien' on it. Every word she writes fades. Pan back to Miss Taylor and Legolas.]  
  
[Legolas is an Elf again.]  
  
Miss Taylor: What in the world…?  
  
Legolas: I am me again! What happened?  
  
[Cameraman points off-stage]  
  
[Legolas, wearing the same outfit as during the War of the Ring, dashes off the stage in search of the person who changed him back. Recovering from shock, Miss Taylor smiles at the camera.]  
  
Miss Taylor: And that's all for now. Legolas has been returned to being an elf, and Moria is officially off limits. Tune back in after the commercial break, as we talk to The Remnants from K.A. Applegate's new book series for an update on what's happening there.  
  
Miss Taylor: I'm Anasazi Taylor for Fantasy Interview Live.  
  
[Camera fades out to clapping, and into commercials]  
  
Ditzy Blonde: I am, like, so sick of everyone calling me dumb just because I'm, like, blonde. That doesn't make me, like, an idiot.  
  
Narrator: Well, now with new and improved grammar lessons, you don't have to talk like a ditz either! For just thirteen ninety-nine, you can talk just like any other human being and not make a fool out of yourself! Want to try?  
  
Ditzy Blonde: Like, totally!  
  
[Blonde is taken offstage. Clock ticks off 24 hours.]  
  
Narrator: Okay, let's see how she is!  
  
[Blonde walks back on]  
  
Narrator: How do you feel?  
  
Blonde: I feel a lot better. Thanks!  
  
Narrator: What do you think of Lothlórien Grammar Therapy?  
  
Blonde: Very cool! I can carry on a conversation without making an ass out of myself! [laughs] Thanks, Lothlórien!  
  
Narrator: Another satisfied customer…  
  
[fades into black.] 


End file.
